300 / COMMUNICATING EXTERNALLY
Understanding culture
When you’re communicating with
a culture other than your own,
you need to be sensitive about
the particular beliefs and values
of that culture, and how they
differ from your own.
Communicating across
countries and cultures
Defining culture
Culture is everything that people have,
think, and do as members of their
society. Culture affects and is a
central part of our economy and the
organizations that employ us. It is
composed of material objects, ideas,
values, and attitudes, as well as
expected patterns of behavior.
Whatever your business, you’re likely
to encounter people of different
ethnicity, citizenship, and cultural
origin. Dealing with people of different
cultures, conducting business over
The industrialized nations of the world are experiencing unprecedented
change. In much of Europe, for example, it is possible for EU citizens
to travel from country to country without a passport, conducting
transactions in a common currency. Barriers to trade have tumbled
or vanished in recent years, but through it all, each of us has retained
something essential to our identity as humans: our culture.
CULTURE IS INGRAINED
Few of us would give a moment’s
thought to learning how to be a
part of the culture we have grown
up in. Our first culture is so
closely defined for each of us that
we’re barely aware that we have
one. Learning a second culture,
though, takes a purposeful effort.
international borders, traveling safely,
and communicating effectively are
not always easy, but are essential for
success in today’s business world.
Culture is composed of
material objects, ideas,
val ues , and at titudes
US_300-301_Comm_Across_Cultures.indd 300 30/05/16 3:05 pm
COMMUNICATING ACROSS COUNTRIES AND CULTURES / 301
Recognizing change
The culture of any country is constantly
undergoing change. The clothing people
wear, the transportation they use, the
books they read, the topics they talk
about, and so on, all change over time.
This is due to the internal forces of
discovery, invention, and innovation; and
external forces, including the diffusion of
ideas from other cultures. Some cultures
change fast, while others evolve more
slowly, either by preference or because
they are more physically isolated.
Changes in culture are often reflected
in changes in the way people speak
and write; make sure that your own
communications reflect these changes.
INVESTIGATE THE
SUBCULTURES
Virtually all large, complex
cultures contain subcultures.
These are small groups
of people with separate
and specialized interests
—essentially, they are
niche markets.
Tip
CULTURE IS INGRAINED
Few of us would give a moment’s
thought to learning how to be a
part of the culture we have grown
up in. Our first culture is so
closely defined for each of us that
we’re barely aware that we have
one. Learning a second culture,
though, takes a purposeful effort.
CULTURE IS UNIVERSAL
All societies have an interest in passing along values
and norms to their children, thereby creating and
defining a culture. No matter where you travel,
you’ll find people with cultures that differ from the
one in which you grew up; noticing these differences
will strengthen your communications.
CULTURES ALLOCATE VALUES
Some cultures engage in behaviors that
others might consider reprehensible.
Be careful never to cause offense when
communicating by inadvertently breaking
taboos or talking about matters that are
considered “off limits.”
US_300-301_Comm_Across_Cultures.indd 301 30/05/16 3:05 pm
302 / COMMUNICATING EXTERNALLY
Communicating internationally
On a personal level, communicating
across international borders means
becoming more aware of the ways in
which your thinking or actions are
culturally biased.
Start by recognizing that your own
education, background, and beliefs may
be considered fine, or even laudable in
your own culture, but they may not count
for so much to someone from a different
country. Take a nonjudgmental position
toward those from other cultures, and you
are likely to find that they will extend the
same hospitable tolerance toward you.
If you find yourself making personal
judgments, keep them to yourself. When
you’re writing or speaking to people from
another culture, try to understand life
LEARN TO
RECOGNIZE “NO”
Some cultures consider it
rude to say “no.” If you are
met with vague answers to
requests, such as “I‘ll try” or
“yes, but it may be difficult”
in these cultures, it may be
safer to assume that your
request has been refused.
Tip
In focus
ETHNOCENTRISM
All cultures, to one degree or
another, display ethnocentrism: the
tendency to evaluate a foreigner’s
behavior by the standards of one’s
own culture, and to believe that
one’s culture is superior to all
others. We tend to take our own
culture for granted. We’re born into
it, and we live with its rules and
assumptions day in and day out.
We quickly come to believe that
the way we live is simply “the way
things should be.” As a result, we
often see our behavior as correct.
However, culture is not value-
neutral. We have good reasons
for believing and behaving as we
do, but that doesn’t necessarily
mean that others are “wrong.”
from their perspective. Learn to
communicate respect for other
people’s ways, their country,
and their values.
US_302-303_Comm_Across_Cultures.indd 302 30/05/16 3:05 pm
COMMUNICATING ACROSS COUNTRIES AND CULTURES / 303
ASK YOURSELF…
YES NODo I understand the culture?
1 Do I understand the basic business etiquette of introductions
and meetings in this new culture? ...................................................
2 Do I know how to recognize the key decision-makers
within a group? .................................................................................
3 Am I familiar with the culture’s business dress code? ..................
4 Do I know how many languages are spoken, and which
is the official language? ...................................................................
5 Have I learned the preferred forms of negotiation? ......................
6 Do I know which forms of media are popular among
which demographic groups? ...........................................................
Adopting the right attitude
You don’t have to adopt the local culture
and begin doing things the way they do.
Just be aware and respect that they
do things differently. “Your way” of
communicating might work brilliantly
in your own culture, but less well in
another. Try to adopt an open-minded
approach, focusing on:
•
Developing a tolerance for ambiguity
Accept the fact that you’ll never
understand everything about another
culture. However, you can still
appreciate and function within that
culture satisfactorily.
•
Becoming more flexible Things won’t
always go the way you want. A small
measure of flexibility will prove
enormously helpful.
•
Practicing a little humility
Acknowledge what you do not know
or understand. Because you weren’t
raised in another’s culture (or may not
even speak the language well), you’ll
never fully understand all aspects of
it. Displaying humility and acceptance
will win friends, influence people,
and make life easier. Communication
consists of the transfer of meaning,
so do everything you can to make
sure that your messages are
not misunderstood.
US_302-303_Comm_Across_Cultures.indd 303 30/05/16 3:05 pm
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.